variants
also grewsome
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
didn't stick around to hear the gruesome details of the car accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gruesome
Brownmiller condemned his gruesome death at the hands of white men but also blamed Till for the claimed incident that led to his death: whistling at killer Roy Bryant's wife, Carolyn.
—
Susan Brownmiller, Arkansas Online, 26 May 2025
In the darkness, the pacifier's button and shield resembled an eyeball, making Blacklock mistake it for something gruesome.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Whereas those behind the morning anchors desk at Channel 4 New York deployed tame wordplay about lighthearted stories, fill-in nightly news host Denise (Johansson) applied the same technique to reports about gruesome crimes.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2025
The husband-and-wife pair were accused of committing some of the most gruesome crimes imaginable, targeting their own children and vulnerable women in their community.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gruesome
Susan Brownmiller, Arkansas Online, 26 May 2025
In the darkness, the pacifier's button and shield resembled an eyeball, making Blacklock mistake it for something gruesome.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Whereas those behind the morning anchors desk at Channel 4 New York deployed tame wordplay about lighthearted stories, fill-in nightly news host Denise (Johansson) applied the same technique to reports about gruesome crimes.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2025
The husband-and-wife pair were accused of committing some of the most gruesome crimes imaginable, targeting their own children and vulnerable women in their community.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gruesome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruesome
Adjective
-
The war has carried a horrific toll for Gazans, with many dead amid the fighting and whole neighborhoods razed to the ground.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
-
Instead of just ending on that horrific moment, the show then cuts to Abby several days earlier.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
There’s no doubt that Lewis, abandoned as a baby by his parents, has done some horrible stuff.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2025
-
Given the horrible economic incentives that government regulation has created, the surprise is not that some patients experience mistreatment.—
John C. Goodman,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Read more: Lakers' Bronny James Among NBA's Elite in One Unique Category Following the shocking comeback victory, Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark could not contain her excitement.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
-
While many have praised the tenacity of the 28-year-old Georgia woman, others have expressed doubts about the veracity of her shocking survival story and have criticized her family’s fundraising motives.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Djokovic knew he’d be seeded to play one of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev or Taylor Fritz in the quarters, and in the end landed Zverev, which isn’t a terrible outcome, but would leave him with a possible Sinner-Alcaraz double bill in the semifinals and final to lift the trophy.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
One night the fish was very overcooked and covered with a terrible sauce.—
Sheah Rarback,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The downsides are that DEET smells awful, is oily, and can damage anything with plastic in it, like synthetic clothing and camping gear.—
Kristin Canning,
Wired News,
21 May 2025
-
But Eleanor has backed herself into an awful corner, and in some ways, so too has Johansson’s film, which is stuck trying to impart sage wisdom through the lens of a truly hideous (if well-meaning) lie.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Major cities like New York were already facing frightening death tolls that climbed higher each day—but that’s not what Eddington is about.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
17 May 2025
-
And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gruesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruesome. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share